Soccer game apparatus



Dec. 3, 1963 w. A. WERTZ SOCCER GAME APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 21, 1961 INVENTOR. WALLACE A. WEE-r z A TOQNEYS Dec. 3, 1963 w. A. WERTZ 3,112,930

SOCCER GAME APPARATUS Filed July 21, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV EN TOR.

WALL-ACE, A. Wain-z.

ATTORNEYS 1963 w. A. WERTZ SOCCER GAME APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 21, 1961 INVENTOR; WALLACE A.W|= rz-rz BY I ATTO 2 N EYS United States Patent 3,112,930 dGQCER GAME APPARATUS Wallace A. Wertz, Rte. 2, Box 389, Stanwood, Wash. Filed July 21, 1961, Ser. No. 125,836 6 Claims. (Ill. 273-455) This invention relates to a novel soccer game apparatus.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a simple, durable, and efficient apparatus of the kind indicated, which enables the realistic and skillful playing of soccer football in miniature.

Another object of the invention is the provision of game apparatus of the character indicated above, wherein realistic player figures are located on the playing surface of the apparatus, at the goals thereof, and at stations they occupy in regular soccer, the players having pivoted ballkicking legs which are adapted to be selectively actuated from ends of the apparatus, for kicking a ball on the playing surface, either transversely thereof or toward the goals.

A further object of the invention is the provision of game apparatus of the character indicated above, wherein the player stations, other than the goal stations, are defined by depressions in the playing surface which converge to provide ball-holding seats located immediately in front of the players kicking legs, for the purpose of accurately positioning the ball for kicking.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of pistol-grip means which carries the goal keeper figures, which pivots relative to the playing surface, so that the goal keepers can be manually angled in the endeavor to prevent balls directed toward the goals from scoring goals by dropping through openings into ball chutes.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of soccer apparatus of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of FIGURE 1, partly broken away and in section;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical section taken on the line 31-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary bottom plan view taken from the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line 66 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged and contracted vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURES 8 and 9 are fragmentary horizontal sections taken on the lines 38 and 9-9, respectively, of FIG- URE 7.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the illustrated game apparatus comprises an elongated rectangular plate ill whose upper side provides a playing surface 12, the plate It? having suitably fixed to its side edges and end edges, side walls 14 and end walls I6, respectively, which extend above and below the plate i i. The apparatus is preferably supported above a supporting surface S, by feet which comprise vertical rods 18 scoured to the lower edges of the side walls 14, near related corners of the apparatus, and having enlarged diameter globular knobs 2.6 on their lower ends.

Pairs of low profile arcuate rails 22 are provided on the playing surface 12, at opposite ends thereof, which extend laterally inwardly from the side walls 14 and have inner ends provided with transversely spaced longitudinal ice terminals 24 which provide access to the goals. The rails 2-2 serve to keep a kicked spherical ball 26 in play on the playing surface, by going dead in out-of-bounds areas 2%, located between the rails 22 and the side and end walls of the apparatus, unless forcibly kicked thereinto.

The playing surface 12 is divided into player stations 30, here shown as being twelve in number, which are symmetrically distributed over the playing surface, and which are defined by depressions in the playing surface. The walls of the stations converge downwardly toward ball-holding seats 32 which are positioned in front of the kicking legs 34 of realistic field player figures 36, as shown in FIGURE 7, to which the ball 26 can gravitate on reaching or passing across a station 3%.

The field playing figures 36 have stationary legs 3% to which are fixed downwardly extending pegs which are rotatably engaged in vertical bores 42 provided in the plate It). Bodies 44 are fixed to and. extend upwardly from the stationary legs 38, and the kicking legs 34 are pivoted, as indicated at 48, to the sides of the bodies opposite the stationary legs 38. Eyes 5t extend rearwardly from the upper parts of the kicking legs 34', and resilient contractile means, such as rubber bands 52, are stretched between the eyes 5% and eyes 54 extending rearwardly from upper parts of the bodies 4-4, whereby the kicking legs 34- are normally retracted. For operating the kicking legs 34, cords 56 are secured, at one end, to the eyes 59 and extend downwardly through the bores 42, in vertical slots 58 provided in their sidewalls.

The cords 56 extend down through horizontal eyes 60, secured to the underside of the plate It? and registered with the bores 42, and extend outwardly beneath the plate 10, to operating levers -62 mounted on the end walls 16 of the apparatus. As shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, the levers 62 comprise rods 64 which extend inwardly through vertically elongated slots es, formed in the end walls 16 below the plate lit), and having angled upper ends 63 against which the rods 64 normally bear. The rods 64 have spherical knobs 70 on their outer ends, and their inner ends are pivoted, by means of cross bars 72 engaged in laterally spaced eyes '74 secured to and extending inwardly from the end walls 16, near the lower ends of the slots 66. The knobs 7% have radial sockets 76 which frictionally receive the outer ends of the rods 64, and the outer ends of the rods have longitudinal slots 78 opening thereto, through which the remaining ends of the cords 56 are trained. The cords 56 are clamped in place, at the closed ends 80 of the slots 7 8, by the knobs. This arrangement provides for easy and quick adjustments of the lengths of the cords 56, when required. The kicking legs 34 of the field player figures 36 are operated by depressing the levers 6'2, as indicated in phantom lines in FIGURE 7. When the levers o2 are released from depressed positions, the rubber bands 52 return the levers and the kicking legs to starting positions.

Goal keeper figures 82; are similar to the field player figures 36, and have pivoted kicking legs '84 and stationary legs 86 which have downwardly extending pegs 88, which, as shown in FIGURE 5, are rotatably engaged in vertical bores 9%) which are formed in the inner ends of horizontal bars 92 which extend through horizontal slots 94, provided in the end walls 16, on a level slightly below the playing surface 12., and are pivoted, intermedi ate their ends, on vertical pivot pins 96 which extend vertically through the end walls 16. Horizontal eyes 98 affixed to the underside of the bars 2 and registered with the bores have operating cords I00 extending therethrough, from rearwardly extending eyes 1&2 on upper parts of the kicking legs 84, through vertical slots 104 in the bores. Rubber bands 105 are stretched between the eyes 192 and eyes 106 extending rearwardly from upper portions of the goal keeper figures. The cords 106 extend along the undersides of the bars )2, through the slots 94 and are adjustably fixed, as indicated at 198, to lower portions of trigger levers Tilt which are pivoted, at 112, at their upper ends, to the bars 92. Trigger guards 114 extend downwardly from the bars 92 and enclose the trigger levers 11%, and have slots 115, passing the cords 1%, and pistol grips H6 extend downwardly from the bars 92 behind the trigger guards. This arrangement provides for manually swinging the goal keeper figures S2 sidewise in openings 113, provided in the plate 19, adjacent to the end walls, through which the ball 26 is adapted to drop, if not fended oif by the goal keeper figures, positioned in this manner, to meet an on-coming ball. The kicking legs 84 of the goa keeper figures are operated by pulling the trigger levers 110, so as to kick the ball 25 out of transversely elongated arcuate ball seats 120 provided in the playing surface 12.

Ball chutes 122 are provided beneath the openings 128 for receiving balls 26 dropping through the openings 128. The chutes 122; are outwardly declining channel forms having sidewalls 124 having lateral ears E26 and 128 fixed, as indicated at 136 and 132, to the underside of the plate 10, at the opposite sides of the openings 28, and the lower edges of the end walls 16. The chutes have bottom walls 134 which extend outwardly beyond the apparatus end walls 16, which have notches 136 in their lower edges which are registered with the chutes 122 and permit balls 26 to pass beyond the end walls 16 to engage bail stops 138 which extend across the lower ends of the chutes. Goal cages 140 extend inwardly from the apparatus end walls 16 in line with the ball openings 128.

As indicated by arrows in FlGURES 1 and 2, related field player figures face in opposite directions with respect to the goal stations, and play of the game can be started by having a preselected field player figure 36 kick off the ball as. The player figures 36 can be selectively angled, prior to the start of play or during play, by opposed pla ers of the game, who station themselves at the opposite ends of the apparatus, in positions to quickly and accurately operate the bars 92 and/ or the operating levers 62, for fending off balls directed to the ball openings, and causing the field player figures to fend off, pass, or kick the ball, in endeavors to make scoring goals by dropping the ball into the opponents ball openings 128. The depressions of the field player stations 30 serve, at times, to enable a ball in play to, in effect, he passed between field player figures of the same team. Whenever the ball settles, during play, in a ball seat 32 of a playing station 30, the player figure therein is entitled to a free kick for resumption of play, and this is also the case when the ball settles in a goal keepers ball seat 120.

Although there has been shown and described a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

l. A soccer game apparatus comprising an elongated horizontal plate having a fiat playing surface, a ball to be kicked thereover, bounding wall means including end walls extending above said surface, movable goal keeper figures supported above the surface centrally of the ends of said surface, stationary player figrres supported above said surface between the goal keeper figures, said plate having scoring openings surrounding the goal keeper figures, horizontal angling bars extending longitudinally through the end walls beneath the playing surface and reaching into said scoring openings, said bars being pivoted on the end walls on vertical axes and extending longitudinally outwardly beyond the end walls, said goal keeper figures being mounted on the angling bars within the scoring openings, said goal keeper figures having J. spring-retracted pivoted kicking legs, and first operating means pivoted on the angling bars and operatively connected to the kicking legs of the goal keeper figures.

2. A soccer game apparatus comprising an elongated horizontal plate having a fiat playing surface, a ball to be kicked thereover, bounding wall means including end walls extending above said surface, movable goal keeper figures supported above the surface centrally of the ends of said surface, stationary player figures supported above said surface between the goal keeper figures, said plate having scoring openings surrounding the goal keeper figures, horizontal angling bars extending longitudinally through the end walls beneath the playing surface and reaching into said scoring openings, said bars being pivoted on the end walls on vertical axes and extending longitudinally outwardly beyond the end walls, said goal keeper figures being mounted on the angling bars within the scoring openings, said goal keeper figures having spring-retracted pivoted kicking legs, and first operating means pivoted on the angling bars and operatively connected to the kicking legs of the goal keeper figures, said stationary figures having spring-retracted pivoted kicking legs, and second operating means pivoted on the end Walls and laterally displaced from said first means, said second means being operatively connected to the kiclo'ng legs of individual stationary figures.

3. A soccer game apparatus comprising an elongated horizontal plate having a fiat playing surface, a ball to be kicked thereover, bounding wall means including end walls extending above said surface, movable goal keeper figures supported above the surface centrally of the ends of said surface, stationary player figures supported above said surface between the goal keeper figures, said plate having scoring openings surrounding the goal keeper figures, horizontal angling bars extending longitudinally through the end walls beneath the playing surface and reaching into said scoring openings, said bars being pivoted on the end Walls on vertical axes and extending longitudinally outwardly beyond the end walls, said goal keeper figures being mounted on the angling bars within the scoring openings, said goal keeper figures having spring-retracted pivoted kicking legs, and first operating means pivoted on the angling bars and operatively connected to the kicking legs of the goal keeper figures, said stationary figures having spring-retracted pivoted kicking legs, and second operating means pivoted on the end walls and laterally displaced from said first means, said second means being operatively connected to the kicking legs of individual stationary figures, said first means comprising triggers pivoted on the angling bars, and cords extending between the triggers and the kicking legs of the goal keeper figures.

4. A soccer game apparatus comprising an elongated horizontal plate having a flat playing surface, a ball to be kicked thereovcr, bounding wall means including end walls extending above said surface, movable goal keeper figures supported above the surface centrally of the ends of said surface, stationary player figures supported above said surface between the goal keeper figures, said plate having scoring openings surrounding the goal keeper figures, horizontal angling bars extending longitudinally through the end Wal s beneath the playing surface and reaching into said scoring openings, said bars being pivoted on the end walls on vertical axes and extending longitudinally outwardly beyond the end walls, said goal keeper figures being mounted on the angling bars within the scoring openings, said goal keeper figures having spring-retracted pivoted kicking legs, and first operating means pivoted on the angling bars and operatively connected to the kicking legs of the goal keeper figures, said stationary figures having spring-retracted pivoted kicking legs, and second operating means pivoted on the end Walls and laterally displaced from said first means, said second means being operatively connected to the kicking legs of individual stationary figures, said first means comprising triggers pivoted on the angling bars, and cords extending between the triggers and the kicking legs of the goal keeper figures, said second means comprising levers pivoted on the end walls, and cords extending between the levers and the kicking legs of the stationary figures.

5. A soccer game apparatus comprising an elongated horizontal plate having a flat playing surface, a ball to be kicked thereover, bounding wall walls including end walls extending above said surface, movable goal keeper figures supported above the surface centrally of the ends of said surface, stationary player figures supported above said surface between the goal keeper figures, said plate having scoring openings surrounding the goal keeper figures, horizontal angling bars extending longitudinally through the end walls beneath the playing surface and reaching into said scoring openings, said bars being pivoted on the end walls on vertical axes and extending longitudinally outwardly beyond the end walls, said goal keeper figures being mounted on the angling bars within the scoring openings, said goal keeper figures having spring-retracted pivoted kicking legs, and first operating means pivoted on the angling bars and operatively connected to the kicking legs of the goal keeper figures, and outwardly declining ball receiving chutes mounted on the end walls, said chutes having elevated ends in ball-receiving relation to the scoring openings and depressed ends, and ball retaining means extending across the depressed ends of the chutes.

6. A soccer game apparatus comprising an elongated horizontal plate having a flat playing surface, a ball to be kicked thereover, bounding wall means including end walls extending above said surface, movable goal keeper figures supported above the surface centrally of the ends of said surface, stationary player figures supported above said surface between the goal keeper figures, said plate having scoring openings surrounding the goal keeper figures, horizontal angling bars extending longitudinally through the end walls beneath the playing surface and reaching into said scoring openings, said bars being pivoted on the end walls on vertical axes and extending longitudinally outwardly beyond the end walls, said goal keeper figures being mounted on the angling bars within the scoring openings, said goal keeper figures having spring-retracted pivoted kicking legs, and first operating means pivoted on the angling bars and operatively con nected to the kicking legs of the goal keeper figures, said bounding walls including longitudinal side walls extending between the end walls, and ball guiding rails extending inwardly from the side walls at points spaced longitudinally inwardly from the end walls and the scoring openings, said rails being laterally inwardly and longitudinally outwardly curved between their ends and terminating at points at opposite sides of and longitudinally inwardly of the scoring openings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A SOCCER GAME APPARATUS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HORIZONTAL PLATE HAVING A FLAT PLAYING SURFACE, A BALL TO BE KICKED THEREOVER, BOUNDING WALL MEANS INCLUDING END WALLS EXTENDING ABOVE SAID SURFACE, MOVABLE GOAL KEEPER FIGURES SUPPORTED ABOVE THE SURFACE CENTRALLY OF THE ENDS OF SAID SURFACE, STATIONARY PLAYER FIGURES SUPPORTED ABOVE SAID SURFACE BETWEEN THE GOAL KEEPER FIGURES, SAID PLATE HAVING SCORING OPENINGS SURROUNDING THE GOAL KEEPER FIGURES, HORIZONTAL ANGLING BARS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THROUGH THE END WALLS BENEATH THE PLAYING SURFACE AND REACHING INTO SAID SCORING OPENINGS, SAID BARS BEING PIVOTED ON THE END WALLS ON VERTICAL AXES AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OUTWARDLY BEYOND THE END WALLS, SAID GOAL KEEPER FIGURES BEING MOUNTED ON THE ANGLING BARS WITHIN THE SCORING OPENINGS, SAID GOAL KEEPER FIGURES HAVING SPRING-RETRACTED PIVOTED KICKING LEGS, AND FIRST OPERATING MEANS PIVOTED ON THE ANGLING BARS AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE KICKING LEGS OF THE GOAL KEEPER FIGURES. 